The Cochrane North development is readying to present to Rocky View County council at the Feb. 27 council meeting.
The project is being managed by Tulum Developments on behalf of Weedon Joint Venture. Should the developer receive approvals at the end of the month, build-out is estimated to begin in 2019, market-dependant.
“We want to make sure we execute this project at the right time,” said Asad Niazi, president of Tulum, with respect to project timing. “We absolutely don’t want to strip the land and sit on it with dusting blowing around and upsetting neighbours.”
The proposed development of 425 units spans 316 acres of lands located north of Monterra Phase One and south of Weedon Trail.
The plans include primarily single-family housing that would be similar to the estate-style housing in nearby Monterra with 50-65 foot lots. Also included are roughly 100 villa-style seniors housing with 40-foot lots.
Niazi said more than 70 per cent of their conceptual plan is comprised of open spaces, including preservation of all wetlands.
He also confirmed that once the development moves along, they would undertake building the ultimate flood mitigation solution by installing an outflow system from Cochrane Lake to the Bow River.
Currently, a temporary solution with outflow into Horse Creek has been operational for the last two years.
Previous concern has been expressed that in the event of a major flooding incident – such as the 2013 flood disaster – the solution would be inefficient. There has also been concern expressed from area residents that the outflow could disrupt the water table and sensitive fish populations in Horse Creek.
The flooding of Cochrane Lake has been a highly contentious issues among area residents in Monterra and in the hamlet, beginning in 2011.
The most impacted residents lived along the hamlet side, with some facing destroyed back yards and employing sump pumps.
Between insolvent developers and issues over accountability between the county and province, residents whose yards were impacted by the flooding of the lake resulted from the absence of an outflow system were left without compensation.
The Cochrane North developers held their first open house in May 2016 and a second one that fall.
The response from area residents has been mixed.
To view the conceptual scheme or get on the email list, visit cochranenorth.com.
